Apparatus for maintaining hot-water or steam pressure in portable boilers.



PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906 C. G. RICH. APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING HOT WATER OR STEAM PRESSURE IN PORTABLE BOILERS. APPLICATION FILED APR.8, 190s.

Httomegs Witnesses STATES OFFTC.

CHARLES CLAYTON RICH, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEWV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO JOHN U. BAUOHEL'LE AND ONE-THIRD TO WM. M. BAUCHELLE, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING HOT-WATER OR STEAM PRESSURE IN PORTABLE BOILERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

Application filed April 8, 1905. Serial No. 25 L585.

To all, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES CLAYTON RICH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of WVestchester and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Maintaining Hot-Water or Steam Pressure in Portable Boilers, of which the following is a specification.

The principal object of the invention is to provide improved means for maintaining the water of a portable boiler at a comparatively high temperature, so that steam may be quickly formed when the fire is started be neath the boiler.

The invention is especially applicable to fire-engines, where the water of the boiler is kept at a comparatively high temperature while in the engine-house, usually by connecting the boiler to a stationary heater adj a cent to the engine or arranged in the cellar of the engine-house. The connections between the main circulating-pipe and the fire-engine are usually by means of slip-joints, which prove a source of constant annoyance and which in many cases are in the way of a fol lowing hose-cart or like vehicle which it is necessary to place in the rear of the engine in many cases.

The present invention aims to dispense with the usual steam-boiler at the enginehouse by providing each fire-engine with an attachment which forms a permanent part of the engine and is heated by a gas-jet.

A further object of the invention is to construct a water-heating attachment of such nature as to fully utilize all of the products of combustion and maintain the necessary'temperature with the expenditure of a comparatively small quantity of fuel.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means under the control of the engineer for cutting off communication between the main boiler and the auxiliary heater after the engine has left the house ,and further, to provide means whereby the water from the auxiliary heater may be drained off without danger of losing any of the water in the boiler proper.

A still further object of the invention is to so arrange the supply-pipe as to leave a per- :Iectlyclear track for a following vehicle.

With these and other objects in view, as

will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a fire-engine, illustrating the application thereto of an auxiliary heater constructed and arranged in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a sectached. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of one form of slip-joint and valve which may be employed in the gas-supply pipe. Fig. 4. is a view, on a still larger scale, illustrating the arrangement of the nipple and the perforated valve-carried disk with which the nipple engages.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

ordinarily employed in fire-engines, and to the rear or to one side thereof is secured an auxiliary heater constructed in accordance with the invention.

The heater 10 is provided with an outer casing, which may be of cylindrical or other form and preferably is lined or coated with a non-heatconducting material.such, for instance, as asbestos. \Vithin the casing are arranged heating-coils 11 and 12, two of such coils being shown in the present instance and both being formed of tubes that are wound in frusto-conical form with the outer coil ex tending partly around the upper portion of the inner coil.

Starting from the larger d iamcter of the inner coil 11 the superposed windings of the coil are arranged in close contact with each other for approximately half the height of the coil, and thereafter the windings are slightly spaced, as will be seen more clearly on reference to Fig. 2. The windings of the outer out the entire height of the coil, said outer coil completely covering all ofthc spread or tional elevation of the auxiliary heater de-' coil 12 are arranged closely together through- The steam-boiler A is of a well-known type I spaced windings of the inner coil, a small annular space being left between the two coils and the top of the inner closed by a disk 13, that will prevent the free passage of the products of combustion.

The bottoms of both coils are connected to a pipe 14, that extends to the lower portion of the main boiler, and in said pipe is arranged a globe-valve 16 and a pet or drainage cock 17.

The upper ends of both coils are connected to a pipe 19, leading to the upper portion of the boiler, and in said upper pipe are arranged a globe-valve 20 and a cock 21, the arrangement being such that by turning the globe-valves all communication between the boiler and the auxiliary heater may be cut off, and then by 0 ening both of the cooks the water in the auxi iary heater may be drained ofi.

In the lower portion of the casing 10 is arranged a burner 22 of any preferred type, and extending downwardly and rearwardly from this burner is a gas-pipe 23, connected by a swing-joint 24 to a pivotally-mounted pipe 25, having a slidable or telescopic "section 26. The lower end of the section 26 terminates in a nipple 27, that fits within the flared mouth of a valve-casing 28, arranged at the end of a gas-supply pipe 29. Within the valve-casing is a seat for the reception of a valve 30, having a guide-stem 31 and normally pressed to its seat by a coiled compression-spring 32. The outer end of the stem carries a perforated disk 33, with which the end of the nipple 27 makes contact in order to force the valve from its seat and permit the free flow of gas from the service-pipe 29 through the pipesection 26. The pipe 26 and nipple are extended downward through an' opening 34, formed in the floor, and when the auxiliary heating apparatus is in use this pipe-section is arranged at an acute angle to the floor, the nipple resting within the valve-casing that is arranged under the floor at a corresponding angle. To the swinging pipe-section is connected one end of a tension-spring 35, the opposite end of which is connected to a pin or lug 36 on the engine-frame, and at one side of said frame is a bracket 37, forming a stop for limiting upward movement of the pipesection when the latter is disconnected from the valve-casing.

In the operation of the device the parts will normally be in the position shown in Fig. 1 when the engine is housed, the gas being ignited at the burner and circulation being maintained between the coils of the auxiliary heater and the main boiler, so that the water of the main boilerwill be kept near the steaming-point, and the steam may be formed rapidly as soon as the fire is started in the combustion-chamber.

As soon as the engine starts to leave the house the pipe-section 26 will step outward from the valve-casing 28, and the valve 30 will automatically close, avoiding waste of gas. As soon as the nipple clears the upper edge of the opening 34 it will be drawn upward by the spring 35 until the pipe rests under the bracket 37 in a position out of the way of the engineer. After leaving the engine-house the engineer may close the two globe-valves, and thus cut off all communication with the auxiliary heater without danger of losing any of the water of the boiler.

With a device of this class it is possible to permit the placing of a hose-cart or other vehicle behind the engine when it becomes necessary to place the apparatus in line in an engine-house of contracted width, and there will be no obstructions in the path of the following vehicle.

With a device of this class it is possible also to avoid the expense of establishing a separate boiler and necessaryconnections in each engine-house, as well as avoiding the expense of an attendant to constantly look after the fires in the engine-house.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. The combination with a portable boiler, of an auxiliary heater having circulating connections with the boiler, and permanently secured thereto, a gas-burner for the auxiliary heater, and a gas supply pipe connected thereto and including a slip connection that is automatically detached and a valve that is automatically closed when the boiler is moved.

2. The combination with a portable boiler, of an auxiliary heater having a permanent circulating connection with the boiler, a gasburner for said heater, a nippled pipe-section having a swing-joint connection with the burner-pipe, a service-pipe, a valve-chamber arranged at the end of the service-pipe and adapted to receive the nipple, and a valve disposed in said chamber and movable to open position by contact with said nipple.

3. The combination with a portable boiler, of an auxiliary heater having a circulating connection with the boiler, a gas-burner for said heater, a swinging gas-pipe arranged to extend through an opening in the floor of the engine-house, and a service-pipe terminating in the open-ended valve-casing at a point adjacent to said opening.

4. In an auxiliary heating apparatus for portable boilers, a service-pipe arranged under the floor of an engine-house, an openended valve-chamber carried by the pipe at a point adjacent to an opening in the floor, a swinging gas-pipe carried by the portable boiler and having one end insertible through the opening and into the valve-chamber, and means for automatically elevating said pipe when its end is pulled from the valvechamber.

5. The combination with a portable boiler, of an auxiliary heater having a circulating IIO connection therewith, a gas-burner for the heater, a gas-pipe leading to the burner, a second pipe having a swing-joint connection with the first pipe, a pipe-section telescopically mounted on said second pipe and having a terminal nipple arranged to pass through an opening in the floor of an enginehouse, a stop-bracket carried by the portable boiler, a spring tending to raise the telescopic pipes into engagement with the bracket, a service-pipe arranged under the floor of the engine-house, a valve-chamber at the end of the service-pipe and provided with a flaring mouth for the reception of the nipple, a valve mounted in said chamber, a valve-stein carrying the valve, a spring tending to close the valve, and a perforated disk secured to the stem and adapted to be engaged by said nipple.

6. The combination with a portable boiler, of an auxiliary heater, valved circulatingpipes between the boiler and heater, an aircock in one of said pipes, and a drainage valve in the other pipe to permit the discharge of water from the auxiliary heater.

7. The combination with a portable boiler,

of an auxiliary heater including a pair of 1 approximately concentric conical coils, the windings of the lower portion of the inner coil being arranged closely together, and the windings of the upper portion thereof being disposed in spaced relation, a disk or plate for preventing direct passage of the products of combustion from the top of the inner coil, and circulating-pipes connecting both coils to the boiler.

8. The combination With a portable boiler, of an auxiliary heater including a casing, a pair of circulating-pipes leading thereinto, and branched to form a pair of approximately concentric coils, the outer of said coils having its windings arranged in contact with each other and forming a close wall around the spaced windings of the upper portion of the inner coil, and a disk or plate for closing the1 combustion-space at the top of the inner 001 s.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES CLAYTON RICH.

Witnesses:

H. D. CoLLINs, JOHN OBRIEN. 

